Hokkaido Toyako Summit

Surrounded by the Sea of Japan, the Okhotsk Sea and the Pacific Ocean, Hokkaido is an island, with its adjacent islands, that measures 83,455 km² in area, approximately 22% of the nation's total land area. Hokkaido is situated in the northern part of the Japanese archipelago at about the same latitude as such major world cities as Chicago, Montreal and Rome. Taking advantage of its geographical location, it aims to become a hub linking northern regions with the Asia-Pacific region.

The Toyako area, where the G8 Summit is to be held, is one of Hokkaido's most well-known tourist destinations. Its climate is mild and being rich in nature and it has beautiful scenery.

The Ishikari Plain

Drift ice on the Okhotsk Sea

The Northern Territories

The islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri and Shikotan and the Habomai Islands, known as the Four Northern Islands, are inherent territories of Japan, having been handed down from generation to generation by the Japanese people, and having never been a territory of another country. It is the earnest desire of the people of Hokkaido, as well as of the Japanese people as a whole, to realize the return of these territories at the earliest possible date, and a strongly rooted campaign for their return has developed by the whole nation. Backed by the nation's strong support, the Government of Japan is negotiating energetically with the Government of Russia in line with the basic policy of concluding a peace treaty by resolving the issue of the attribution of the Four Northern Islands.